An Ado-Ekiti High Court yesterday sentenced two men: Michael Adams and Abass Mutiu, to death by hanging after being found guilty of armed robbery and murder. Chief Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, convicted the two for committing armed robbery, contrary to Section (1) 2 (a) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision) Act Cap R11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2014.
He also found them guilty of murder, contrary to Section 316 (1) and punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ekiti State, 2015.Justice Daramola held that the convicts were found guilty of armed robbery and murder as laid on the charge sheets by the prosecutor. He ruled that they would face the supreme punishment for the commission of the offence of armed robbery and murder.
The judge, subsequently, imposed death penalty on them. He ordered that they be hanged on the neck ‘until life goes out of them.’According to the charge, Adams and Mutiu committed the offences on January 22, 2014 at Fiyinfolu Avenue, off Ilawe Road, Ado-Ekiti when they robbed one Arowosere Kabiru of N12,800 while armed with dangerous weapons such as guns and cutlasses.
The two convicts in the course of their robbery operation murdered one Ojo Adebola.They were arraigned in court for the first time on March 1, 2016 when the charges were read to them to which they pleaded not guilty.A legal officer from the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mrs. D. Oyewole, called four witnesses to prove the case.
Tendered as exhibits were the statement of the accused, Indian hemp, two motorcycles, cutlasses, cartridges, photographs of the deceased and photographs of the parade of the convicts by the police.The accused were led in evidence by the State Director of Legal Aid Council, Mr. Olaitan Adeloye. One of the eyewitnesses, who was among the victims of the attack, identified the accused persons at the identification parade conducted by the state police command.
